Grading the Debut Season of the Cowboys First-Time Head Coach
The Dallas Cowboys played their last home game of the season, losing in a familiar fashion to the Chargers 34-17. The game remained close until midway through the third quarter, but the offense struggled to maintain its performance against a tough Chargers defense. For Brian Schottenheimer, this game is significant as it marks the last home game of the season and is the last game the Cowboys have against a winning team. Schottenheimer has displayed a lot of thought throughout his rookie campaign, and with only two games left to play this season, what is a fair grade for him?
The positive for Schottenheimer is that he was able to bring the best out of quarterback Dak Prescott, being a reason he had one of the best seasons of his career and was a potential candidate for MVP. The Cowboys had one of the best offenses at home, and Schottenheimer's play-calling is a major indicator of why. Arguably, the most impactful part of Schottenheimer has been his culture shift for the Dallas locker room. He is a coach that Dallas has not had for a while, one that’s confident and easygoing but at the same time demands maximum effort from everyone, which has gained him respect from everyone in the organization. The trust he has gained is not only on the football field, as he has demonstrated an ability to connect with his players on a deeper level, fostering genuine relationships.
Despite Schottenheimer's significant positive contributions to this Cowboys team, he still has a long journey ahead. He led one of the top-scoring offenses in terms of yards per game and points; however, his play-calling has raised questions from game to game. There are occasional complaints about his decision-making, particularly regarding how he manages games beyond the 50-yard line, with some critics arguing that he can be either too aggressive or too conservative. Taking everything into consideration, Schottenheimer has demonstrated that he has the potential to remain a coach in Dallas for the foreseeable future. To give a grade, a solid B/B+ is fair; he has shown several positives compared to his few negatives. One thing can be said of Schottenheimer's first year, and that is he has surpassed the expectations set by both the media and Jerry Jones himself.
